Japan is sending four members of its self defence force to help in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Tokyo will also deploy four military planes to assist in the search and locate efforts.
TOKYO: Japan is sending four members of its self defence force to help in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Tokyo will also deploy four military planes to assist in the search and locate efforts.
This is the first time Japan is sending military aircraft to search for an airplane outside its own territory.
It is quite rare for Japan to conduct rescue and relief efforts outside of its territorial waters, although it has had many experiences conducting disaster relief operations outside of Japan -- with the latest being in the Philippines.
The SDF and the coast guard are expected to play a central role in this current mission.
However, the concern is how Japan will cooperate with China, and whether China will accept Japan's olive branch.
Tensions between the two countries are regarded at its highest since the end of World War Two
Masashi Nishihara, president of the Research Institute for Peace and Security, said: "I hope so, but it may not work out. In fact in some areas, Chinese authorities may decline the Japanese offer. In which case we should understand."
Takahiro Araki, principal deputy director of the international operations division at the Ministry of Defence, said: "When there are disasters, entities involved in relief activities will not carry weapons. Based on that standard, we will cooperate.
"We have one goal, and (we will) cooperate for that goal. If it's within the Asian region, we can quickly get to places with our transport aircraft, so it's possible we will cooperate."